Laneco is looking for new employees to replace - permanently - striking workers at 20 of its food and department stores.

The Lehigh Valley stores owned by the Wilson-based chain remained open yesterday despite the strike by members of Local 1357, United Food and Commercial Workers Union. Picket lines went up in front of each store, including non-union facilities, while supervisory and other non-union personnel manned cash registers, stock rooms and loading docks.

Today is the second day of a strike called Sunday after a vote by the union membership. The union represents about 1,200 workers at the stores. Local 56 of the union, which represents meat-cutters at 18 of the stores, is honoring the strike and members are not crossing picket lines.

Food Lane and Laneco stores east of Warren County, N.J., are not affected by the strike. Workers there are represented by another union local.

Wendell Young III, president of Local 1357, United Food and Commercial Workers Union, said yesterday that the company had been placing "tremendous pressure" on employees several days prior to the vote. Workers were told that "if they supported a strike, they would be permanently replaced," Young said.

Young said the union plans to file an unfair labor practice charge against the union with the National Labor Relations Board in Philadelphia today. That charge will relate to the company's alleged pre-strike statements about getting permanent replacements for striking workers.

The union has already filed unfair labor practice charges that the company refused to arbitrate unionization for three non-union stores, in Bethlehem, Kutztown and Palmer Township, and has not paid pension contributions under the contract that expired at midnight Saturday.

Young said there were few problems with Laneco employees crossing picket lines to go to work. "There was some very minimal scab activity."

He said some employees from New Jersey, outside the Local 1357 district, were called to work at one of the Easton-area Food Lane stores. Picketers informed them they were on strike, and they left the store shortly after entering it.

Wilson police said managers from the 25th Street store called to report shoppers were being harassed by picketers. When police arrived, they found that picketers were explaining that they are on strike and asking customers not to patronize the store. No charges were filed.

Palmer Township police asked picketers to move farther away from the doors at the chain's newest addition at William Penn Highway and Stones Crossing.

In Easton, a picketer at the Laneco at St. John's Street reported to police that he had been harassed.

Young said, however, that the picketing had been "very effective. Many customers, many communities, have been very supportive."

He said that business at other supermarkets picked up yesterday, with one store asking about the possibility of hiring striking workers. "We'll see how it goes," Young said, noting that it is too early in the strike for the union to make a decision on that.

Charles Azzalina, head of employee relations for the company, said last night, "We will not be making any comments at all."